


this is home

by kalebale



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Family, Fluff, Future Fic, I'll probs add more characters later but let's just start here, Peraltiago
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:42:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24283024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalebale/pseuds/kalebale
Summary: a collection of one-shots about Jake, Amy, and their sweet kiddos
Relationships: Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago
Comments: 1
Kudos: 31





	this is home

**Author's Note:**

> Just a few notes before we get started:
> 
> 1) There are a few scenes that are missing due to length and just trying to tell the story so there's at least one part that may feel like Amy's out of character but it's only because I didn't go in-depth on certain things leading up to that part so that's that. But she's still our lovable Amy who freaking loves her kids and Jake. Worry not. :)
> 
> 2) I did not go into detail about NICU and other hospital stuff because that is far from my area of expertise. And here's my official apology if something just doesn't sound right. I'm not a nurse, I'm not a mom, I don't work at a hospital. This is just based off what I've heard and read from others.
> 
> Anyways, that's all. Enjoy y'all!

“You just really wanted to join the party, huh?” Jake, dawned in a full body gown, stood in awe at the little baby lying in the incubator. His eyes lit up as he began to commit every detail of their newest addition to memory.

Looking beyond the tubes and wires, his eyes saw the brown hair exposed beyond the little one’s cap. Their chest rose and fell with ease as if the worst of it all was over and this was its deep breath after the day’s trauma.

A nurse approached from behind the proud father who leaned over his child. “Mr. Peralta--”

“Please,” He turned away for just a second while outstretching his hand, “Jake.”

“Jake,” The nurse returned the gesture while offering a small smile, “If you’d like, you can reach in to touch her.”

“Really? That would be awesome,” Taking a step back, Jake watched anxiously as the nurse opened up the ports on the side. “Thank you so much.”

“Anytime. Let me know if you need anything,” Taking some quick notes of the baby’s vitals and writing it all down, “Your wife should be ready to see you in a bit.”

Once the footsteps faded into the background, his world began to shift and focus again on this new human. They weren’t planning on having a third. Mac and Lucy brought so much light to their lives while completing their family, but fate and the universe and any other forces at play in their life said otherwise. A third Santiago-Peralta was the missing puzzle piece that none of them knew they were missing. But now, looking at her, he would not want to have it any other way.

“I don’t blame you. The party here is pretty cool. I wouldn’t want to miss it either.” The back of his index finger carefully caressed the babe’s cheek. “But you about gave your Mama a heart attack with your little stunt. She’s hoping it's the last one you’ll give her; but if you’re anything like me, it won't be the last time.”

The machine’s beeps faded as he thought about Amy. “Kid, you hit the jackpot with your Mama. She is one of the best people you will ever know. Your Mama gives the best hugs and kisses. You’ll never second-guess if she loves you or not. She’ll cheer you on at all your games and hang up every picture you give to her. And she is a genius. You might have to ask her for all the help on your homework. But anyways... We’re all so lucky that we have her.

“And your brother and sister... Those two are  **_wild_ ** . Mac’s your big brother. He’s really cool. Super good at sports. Finishes books faster than any kid I know. He always talks about wanting a brother so he might not be super excited you’re here at first. But trust me, he’ll warm up to you. And if you’re ever in trouble or need someone in your corner, you bet he’s the first one to be there.

“Lucy’s your sister. And just like your Mama, she’s brilliant. Like.. I can’t explain it. You’re just in luck though because she’s going through this phase where she loves babies. Like  **_loves_ ** them. Your Mama got her a baby doll a few months ago to help her prep for you and that doll does not leave her side. I’m not sure it ever will. Her heart is probably bigger than she is. She’s the first person to volunteer to help out around the house, to help cook dinner.. She tells us that she wants to be a mommy policeman when she grows up.” He chuckles at the thought. “Good thing you’re here to help her practice, huh?”

It was seconds later when the nurse returned to tell him that Amy was back in the room and asking for him. Regardless of what rules or guidelines might be in place in the NICU, Jake pressed a warm kiss to the incubator. “I gotta go for a little bit. Your Mama’s all done with surgery. I’ll see you soon...”

His mind raced for what to call this new life. Neither of them had agreed on a name yet, nonetheless a nickname. It had to be perfect, something that was just for her and no one else. It would probably be the nickname that would follow her for years to come. Jake stared at her before the lightbulb went off.

“Booger.”

//

“You called her  **_booger_ ** ?” Amy furrowed her eyebrows in disbelief at her husband’s tale. “She’s barely a day old and you gave her the nickname booger.”

They sat on her bed, Amy tucked into Jake’s side while listening to every detail about their daughter and his arm wrapped around her. Both soaked in the stillness for a moment as their life was now slowly changing around them. 

Anxiety took her captive earlier in the day as they navigated each challenge. This was not a part of her birth plan. Their daughter was supposed to be here with them a few months later, not now and definitely not in a NICU. But the moment Jake and came back to report that their daughter was okay and being taken care of along with pictures to prove it, all of that soon dissipated. The new challenges that were to come the next few days, weeks, and months became white noise when she saw the first picture. Their youngest was absolutely perfect in every way.

But booger as a nickname? What was her husband thinking?

“It was all out of love, Ames,” He tried to brush it off with a few light laughs but still struggled to defend his reasoning. “She’s our little booger.”

“Mac and Lucy have cute little nicknames that everyone we know uses. Mac Attack, Lu, Mr. Mac, Lulu..”

“Okay, okay. I hear you.” A deep sigh escaped his lips while his head rested on top of hers. “I won’t tell anyone else about it. Charles will not be calling her it.”

“I’m holding you to that.” In a child-like manner, Amy held out her pinky. “Promise?”

Since having their two oldest, pinky promises became legally binding in the Santiago-Peralta home. If anyone broke it, hell was coming for them. His pinky interlocked with hers. “Promise.”

“Now,” Amy broke away before resting back in his embrace, “We have to name her. Charles and Rosa will be here with the other two in a few hours.”

He whipped out his phone from the jacket pocket, a smirk appearing later. “Way ahead of you. Got your names saved on my phone.”

They scrolled through the saved girl names while trying to figure out what would be the perfect pick for Jake’s little “booger”. Some felt too classical, others seemed too far fetched and beyond their time, and others...

“Ophelia and we can call her Ellie for short?”

“Jake, she was a woman who went mad--”

“But Shakespeare wrote it like that--”

“And she later drowned.”

“Okay, but hear me out. It would--”

“Not be cute.” Her blunt reply ended the discussion as they moved on.

Not long after, both sat back in defeat, staring at the ceiling while praying for fate to reveal the baby’s name to complete their whole journey. Amy broke the silence first, “It should not be this hard to name her.”

“Yeah, it should be easy,” Jake replied, “Like, we knew the others’ names. And it fits them perfectly. I can’t imagine naming Mac and Lu anything else. They’re just.. Mac and Lu.”

Amy sighed as she turned her head to face him. “How did we come up with their names? Why did we name them the way we did?”

Jake bit his tongue while shaking his head for a second. “Mac.. Mr. McClane. I lost the bet so you got to name him. And I thought it was going to be one of those classical names like James or name him after your dad.”

“But I didn’t.” She nudged him slightly with a grin, still a bit weak from the surgery earlier. “And we named him after John McClane, the man who inspired you to be a cop.”

“With the middle name Jacob because..”

“You’re his dad, an amazing one, and you deserve to be honored like that,” Her arms slinked around his as she lowered her chin to rest on his bicep. “Lu was another  _ Die Hard  _ name, the only one I agreed on.”

Jake scoffed. “I still think Holly was a legit option.”

But she ignored his comment. “And her middle name is after Holt--”

“Captain Dad,” Jake laughed before looking at Amy. “Smart choice, Santiago.”

She shook her head after Jake pecked the top of it. “I still don’t know what to name this one though. It just feels like nothing fits.”

“Well, maybe, we just need to take a break and see some kiddos,” He began to slide out from her grip and put his phone away. “Rosa just texted. She’s here with Charles and the kids. You up for visitors?”

“Definitely.”

“I’ll go meet them and bring them up.” He leaned down for one last kiss. “Don’t think too hard about baby names while I’m gone.”

“I’ll try not too,” Her hand cupped one of his cheeks, feeling his stubble as her thumb stroked it. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” After their exchange, Jake was only half-way out the door when he turned back for a split second. “Consider Holly?”

“We’re not naming her Holly.”

//

Though the wait felt like seconds later to her, Amy watched as the small group walked in the door minutes later, smiles all around for the occasion. Rosa held Lu in her arms with Mac trailing behind her. Jake and Charles held up the back of the group. Her two oldest bounded towards the bed, with Mac making it just seconds before Lu.

“Mac, Lu!” Jake spoke up, somehow managing to get in front to hold them back from jumping up onto Amy. “Remember what we talked about? Mommy had a really special surgery on her tummy. So we can’t--”

“Jump on the bed with her.” Mac muttered, arms crossed. “We know.”

“I’m just making sure, pal,” Jake picked up Lu, “If you guys wanna sit next to Mommy, we can put you next to her.”

“I wanna sit next to her!” Their four year old spoke up while attempting to face and see her mother.

“Me too.” Smiling, their son approached the bed.

Soon the two kids were snuggled up in Amy’s respective sides, thankful to be reunited after such a long day. Each person in the room knew it would be the last moment before the family of four officially became a family of five, and wanted to treasure it before the next Santiago-Peralta was officially introduced to the rest of her family.

Jake sat on the edge of the bed with his phone, swiping through pictures of the baby to show the kids. He pointed out each detail and tried his best to answer the questions both had about the wires and machines either around her or connected to her. Though each wire and tube was a reminder of the journey before them, it also acted as the reminder that their baby was alive.

“She’s so cute! Just like my baby!” Lucy cradled her baby doll close in the correct position Amy taught her months before, “When are we gonna see her?”

“Well, I talked with one of the nurses when I was coming down to get you guys,” His eyes soon turned from addressing his kids to his wife’s confused look. The kids weren’t supposed to see the baby for a while, considering it was only adult family members allowed in the NICU right now. “And she has a special surprise for all of us.”

With Amy in a wheelchair being pushed by Jake, and Lucy in Rosa’s arms once more, the group made their way down the hall with Jake leading the way. Amy still sat baffled and excited. Baffled with the plan Jake vaguely explained, but more than excited to finally see and touch the little life they created. With everything that happened that day, she only saw the babe for a quick second in the operating room before being whisked away to be worked on. She was at peace knowing that she was okay, but Amy still wanted to see and hold her child to be sure all was actually well.

A nurse met them at a crossroads in the hallway to continue taking Charles, Rosa, and the kids down to the viewing window. Meanwhile, Jake and Amy turned the corner to continue down a separate hall.

“Jake, babe, what’s going on?” Amy attempted to turn her head up to face him, only to barely see a small smile escaping.

“I think we don’t have a name because you haven’t seen our little booger yet,” Jake, eyes still focused ahead of him, could only imagine the look Amy gave at the nickname. “And I just.. I had this idea and the nurses said they could help.. And you’ll see. Just trust me.”

After arriving at a door and being let into the NICU area, Jake navigated the wheelchair towards their daughter. Looking down each time to steal a glance of Amy’s face, one caught between hormonal tears and awe that their daughter was just feet away from them.

The wheelchair parked and locked as Jake met Amy at the other side to share the same scene she had her eyes glued on. He knew that look after the first two times. It was full of a deep love beyond comprehension. This baby was another mouth to feed and body to clothe, but another beautiful, sweet soul to love and raise alongside her best friend.

“Ames, meet your daughter,” He sat in the chair next to her, intertwining his fingers with hers. “Booger, meet your mommy.”

“Hey you... It’s been a crazy day, huh?,” She reached into the open port with her free hand, finding her way through wires and tubes to her daughter’s cheek. Her thumb began to carefully stroke it as Amy held back tears. “I’m so glad you’re here with us. I love you so so much, sweet babe.”

“Mommy! I can’t see her!” A familiar and small static-y voice broke the silence as Amy turned to Jake in confusion. “Auntie RoRo...”

“That’s Lu,” Amy followed-up and pointed to the phone in his lap. “Is she--”

Jake’s free hand pointed to the viewing window in front of them, “We’re on the phone with them. It was Rosa’s idea.”

“And mine!” They both heard Charles chime in as the parents laughed.

“You guys don’t think we’d miss out on meeting our new goddaughter, right?” Rosa’s voice followed soon after.

Looking from the four outside back down at the baby, she couldn’t help but think about the past eight years, thankful for a tribe like Charles and Rosa that are so invested in their little family. Both volunteered on many planned and unplanned occasions to watch the kids. And they were great at it, taking them on adventures to the park and the zoo, giving baths and putting Mac and Lucy to bed at a decent time when babysitting, kissing owies as they came up, sitting through endless recitals and concerts before cheering them on at the end (and also bringing roses for Lu after her first ballet recital).. Those two were invested in their kids' lives. She couldn’t imagine what their life would look like if those two weren’t there.

And now they had another little life to invest in. Another godchild to spoil silly, to hear stories about school and home and everything in between, to clap for at school concerts, to play with... Jake and Amy knew they could always count on Rosa and Charles to be there, not because they had to but because they genuinely wanted to.

That’s when it hit her as her hand slowly broke away from his grip. Her fingers soon were in his hair, her eyes brimming with tears but also with love. “Charlotte. Charlotte Rose. That’s her name.”

“After Charles and Rosa?”

She nodded. “After our two best friends, the godparents of our kids, the two we can count on to be there at all hours for all  **_five_ ** of us... It only feels right to name her after them.”

They both turned back to their baby, back to holding hands and memorizing every detail while trying her name on for size. Jake continued to repeat it, “Charlotte.. Charlotte Rose Santiago-Peralta.. Charlie.”

Hearing the name Charlie is what changed Amy’s smile to a grin, absolutely content with the new nickname and how it fit perfectly. “Charlie, welcome to the party.”

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> And now we know at least a bit more about Charlie! I'm open to ideas and suggestions on what to write about next so if you got any ideas, comment them below! I'm excited to see what you guys suggest! :))


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